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Elliott helps Purdue retain Old Oaken Bucket

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:48:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Joey Elliott threw a career-high four touchdown passes to help Purdue beat Indiana 38-21 on Saturday and retain the Old Oaken Bucket. Both teams were eliminated from bowl contention last week, leaving them to play for pride and the trophy that goes to the winner of the annual in-state rivalry game. Purdue won last year's game 62-10, and Indiana planned to use the blowout as motivation. Indiana outgained Purdue 462 yards to 330, but the Hoosiers lost the turnover battle 4-0. Jaycen Taylor ran for a season-best 110 yards on 20 carries and caught seven passes for 59 yards and a score for Purdue (5-7, 4-4 Big Ten). Darius Willis ran for 142 yards and Mitchell Evans caught 10 passes for 112 yards for Indiana. Ben Chappell threw for 266 yards and two touchdowns, but he threw two interceptions for the Hoosiers (4-8, 1-7). Indiana made it a game in the fourth quarter. Chappell found Damarlo Belcher down the middle for a 28-yard touchdown pass to trim Purdue's lead to 31-21 with 8:04 to play. Indiana's defense held Purdue to a three-and-out, and the Hoosiers took over in Purdue territory. Purdue's Kawann Short intercepted a short pass by Chappell and returned it 15 yards to the Indiana 39. Indiana had one more shot but turned the ball over on downs in its own territory. Elliott then threw his fourth TD pass of the day, a 31-yarder to Keith Smith, which gave the Boilermakers a 38-21 lead with 2:14 to play. Things started poorly for Indiana. Purdue's Mike Neal forced Chappell to fumble on the Hoosiers' opening possession, and Short recovered to give Purdue the ball at the IU 19-yard line. Purdue's Taylor converted on a fourth-and-1 at the Indiana 10, then scored on a 6-yard screen pass from Elliott to give the Boilermakers led 7-0 three minutes into the game. Indiana tried to answer, but David Pender blocked Nick Freeland's field-goal try. The Boilermakers moved down the field quickly, and this time Elliott found Dan Dierking in the flat for a 4-yard touchdown. Indiana's second threat came early in the second quarter. Willis broke loose for 64 yards, but the Hoosiers missed a field goal at the end of that possession. Torri Williams' interception of a Chappell pass set up another scoring pass from Elliott to a running back, this time a 13-yarder to Jared Crank, which gave Purdue a 21-0 lead. Indiana drove again late in the first half and finally appeared to get a 9-yard touchdown pass from Chappell to Mitchell Evans. The play was reviewed and overturned, but Chappell scored on a 1-yard sneak on the next play to cut Purdue's lead to 21-7 right before halftime. Willis ran for 108 yards in the first half as Indiana outgained Purdue 192 yards to 167. Al-Terek McBurse returned the second-half kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown to put Purdue up 28-7. Chappell threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Evans to cut Purdue's lead to 28-14 with just under four minutes left in the third quarter. Carson Wiggs made a 38-yard field goal with 1:30 left in the third quarter to increase Purdue's lead to 31-14.

Northwestern holds off No. 17 Wisconsin

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:51:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- A purple mob rushed to the middle of Ryan Field, a home crowd celebrating Northwestern's 33-31 victory over No. 17 Wisconsin on Saturday. "I was right in the middle in the thick of things; it got a little rowdy in there. It's definitely a great feeling having fans rush the field," Northwestern's Jordan Mabin said Saturday after his interception in the closing seconds clinched the win. The Wildcats built a 27-14 halftime lead behind the passing of Mike Kafka to Andrew Brewer and then used late defensive plays from Brian Peters and Mabin to hold off the Badgers. "It was definitely an emotional day, having your parents walk out on the field with you. But we were here to win the game," said Brewer, a senior and converted quarterback who finished with six catches for 102 yards. Northwestern (8-4, 5-3 Big Ten) improved its postseason positioning with its third straight victory and will get a chance to win the school's first bowl game since the 1949 Rose Bowl. Wisconsin (8-3, 5-3) still has one more game to play at Hawaii. The Badgers couldn't get in position Saturday for a game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter, even though they had ample opportunities. "When we took the ball with about four minutes left, I felt pretty comfortable about being able to drive the ball down and if not score [a touchdown], put ourselves in field goal range," coach Bret Bielema said. "Even taking the field the last time with 42 seconds left, the way these guys have battled through and finished ballgames, I felt pretty good." Wisconsin's David Gilreath returned a punt 68 yards for a third-quarter TD to get the Badgers (8-3, 5-3) back in the game. Scott Tolzien found Garrett Graham wide open in the back of the end zone for a 13-yard pass with 10:45 to go, pulling the Badgers within 33-31 and setting the stage for a wild finish. Wisconsin then got the ball back three more times, but had turnovers on two of the possessions. The Badgers got the ball with eight minutes to go but had to punt. They stopped the Wildcats and, after a holding penalty, had possession again at their 34 with 3:43 to go. But Wisconsin's John Clay fumbled and Peters recovered at the 41 with 1:44 left. "I was trying to fight and get the first down. I let loose of the ball. I bumped into one of my guys and I dropped it," said Clay, the Big Ten's leading rusher who finished with 100 yards on 23 carries. Northwestern had to punt again, and the Badgers got the ball back at their 21 with 42 seconds to go, before Mabin sealed the victory with his interception of a long pass from Tolzien intended for Isaac Anderson. "I looked up and saw the ball coming and I'm like, 'Oh, wow, it's here.' I had to go up and get it. It's hard to explain that feeling," Mabin said. "If I were to do it again, I probably would have thrown it underneath," Tolzien said. "Come crunch time we didn't get it done." Tolzien completed 19 of 30 passes for 235 yards and two TD passes to Graham. Kafka had his fifth 300-yard passing game of the season, going 26 of 40 for 326 yards. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald -- who said he didn't like fans rushing the field because of the injury risk -- made a pitch for Kafka, his senior quarterback, to be the offensive MVP of the Big Ten. The Wildcats are playing their best football at the end of the season and had beaten Iowa and Illinois the previous two weeks. "I would say so," Fitzgerald said. "3-0 in November is a statement of where our program is now." The Wildcats used trickery to build the halftime lead. Kafka lateraled to leading receiver Zeke Markshausen, who then passed to a wide open Sidney Stewart. Stewart caught the ball at the 6 and then went to the end zone to complete the 38-yard play and cap a three-play, 80-yard drive -- Northwestern's second TD in a span of 2:21. Northwestern added a 38-yard field goal by Stefan Demos with 34 seconds to go after Wisconsin stopped the Wildcats on third-and-1 at the 20. Demos finished with four field goals. Northwestern had gone up 17-14 when Brewer fully extended to catch Kafka's third-down pass in the end zone. His highlight reel reception was upheld by video review and set up by Stephen Simmons' 64-yard kickoff return.

Illinois thumps Presbyterian College, 94-48

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:10:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - Freshman D.J. Richardson scored 15 points, hitting four 3-pointers, to help No. 23 Illinois overcome a sluggish start and beat Presbyterian College 94-48 in the Las Vegas Invitational on Saturday night. The Illini's offense stalled early on against the Blue Hose's zone defense. With the game tied at 21, Illinois (3-0) closed the half with a 20-7 run to take a 13-point halftime lead. After turning the ball over eight times in the first half, the Illini surrendered the ball only once during the second half. The second half featured a strong start for the Illini as they picked up where they left off opening with a 25-2 run to put the game out of reach. Alex Legion hit a pair of 3-pointers sandwiched around a Bill Cole three on three straight possessions which extended Illinois' lead to 65-30. The Blue Hose managed to shut down 7-foot-1 center Mike Tisdale for a majority of the game as he was held without a basket until 18:07 left in the second half. Tisdale finished with five points and four rebounds. While rebounding had been an area of concern for Illinois coach Bruce Weber in previous games, Illinois outrebounded Presbyterian 48-19 - including 20 offensive boards. Mike Davis led the way with nine rebounds. He finished with 12 points. The game marked the first meeting between the two teams. All 13 Illini scored at least two points. Jake Troyli led Presbyterian (0-3) with 15 points as Illinois held the Blue Hose to 37 percent shooting and a paltry 16.7 percent from beyond the arc. The game marked the first meeting between the two teams. All 13 Illini scored at least two points. Jake Troyli led Presbyterian (0-3) with 15 points as Illinois held the Blue Hose to 37 percent shooting and a paltry 16.7 percent from beyond the arc.

No. 1 PSU sweeps IU, wins 7th straight outright crown

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:33:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The No. 1 Penn State women's volleyball team clinched their 13th overall and seventh consecutive outright Big Ten title with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 26-24) sweep of Indiana. The Nittany Lions have extended their winning streak to 94 straight matches. Junior Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.) led all players with 13 kills attacking at a .667 clip. She tied with classmate Fatima Balza (Merida, Venezuela) with six total blocks. Junior Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.) also posted double-digit kills with 10. Senior setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) paced the Nittany Lions offense with 39 assists and tallied four kills on five errorless swings. Junior libero Alyssa D'Errico (Byron, N.Y.) led the team in digs with 13. The Hoosiers were on the board first in set one, but Wilson answered immediately for the Nittany Lions with a kill. Penn State took its first lead, 4-3, after back-to-back kills from Glass. The lead was short-lived after two Indiana kills and two PSU errors but the Hoosiers up by two, 8-6. The Nittany Lions continued to trail until a solo stuff by Glass and an ace from junior Jessica Ullrich (Winfield, Ill.) gave the Lions an 11-10 edge. The Hoosiers tied it at 11-11, but a Balza kill and an Indiana error put the Nittany Lions up by two, 13-11. PSU grabbed its largest lead of the set, 16-13, at midpoint of the frame thanks to two-straight Dorton kills and another IU error. Penn State maintained the lead until the Hoosiers moved ahead for a 21-19 advantage forcing a PSU timeout. Hodge nailed a kill following the break and two straight Penn State stuffs gave the Lions a 22-21 advantage. After an Indiana timeout, two Hoosier errors and a solo block by Hodge gave PSU a 25-22 first set win. Wilson opened set two for the Nittany Lions tipping the ball for a kill. The two teams remained close until Penn State went on a 9-3 run for a 15-9 lead. Wilson had two kills and three stuffs in the run, including two joint blocks with Dorton. Indiana's Mary Chaudoin tried to slow Penn State's momentum with a kill, but two Hodge kills, an IU error and a Balza block increased PSU's lead to eight, 19-11. Two straight kills by the Lions had the Lions leading 21-12 and Indiana taking a timeout. After the break, Glass tallied a kill and Wilson registered three to close out the second set 25-16. The third set was similar to the second with the squads staying neck-and-neck until Penn State took an 11-8 lead after a block with Wilson and Dorton, a Brown kill and an ace from junior Cathy Quilico (Thousand Oaks, Calif.). Soon after however, Indiana was ahead, 12-11, after tallying four straight points. The score tied four times before a PSU error and an Indiana kill gave the Hoosiers an 18-16 advantage. Soon after, Penn State was back in the lead, 20-19, courtesy of a Glass kill and a joint stuff from Glass and Wilson. After an Indiana timeout, the Hoosiers tied it up, 20-20, with a kill from Ashley Benson. The Hoosiers managed to take the lead, 23-22, forcing a Penn State timeout. After IU tallied an additional point for a 24-22 lead, head coach Russ Rose called a second timeout. The Nittany Lions managed to tie the set, 24-24, thanks to an IU service error and a Dorton kill. A block by Brown and Balza and a kill from Brown secured a third set victory for the Nittany Lions, 26-24. Penn State is back in action on Friday, Nov. 27 versus Michigan State at 7 p.m. in Rec Hal. The Nittany Lions will celebrate senior night on Saturday, Nov. 28 when they host Michigan at 7 p.m. Live stats and live audio will be available for both matches via a link at GoPSUsports.com. Penn State's match with Michigan will be taped and will air on the Big Ten Network on Sunday, Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women's volleyball 2009 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets At Hershey.

All-Big Ten Football Selection Special airs Monday

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:56:00 +0000

CHICAGO – For the third year in a row, the Big Ten Network will present the exclusive, live announcement of the annual Big Ten football awards during Big Ten Tonight: All-Conference Selection Special at 8 PM ET Monday, Nov. 23. Dave Revsine will host the show, alongside analysts Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith. Select award winners will be interviewed during the 30-minute program. The show will reveal the All-Big Ten teams as selected by both the coaches and the media. Coaches will select a Big Ten Offensive Player, Defensive Player and Freshman of the Year. Media will also honor the Dave McClain Coach of the Year while the coaches will pick an Offensive and Defensive Lineman of the Year. Last year, the media and coaches both selected Iowa running back Shonn Greene as the Offensive Player of the Year, Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis as the Defensive Player of the Year and Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor as the Freshman of the Year. The conference's media selected Joe Paterno as the Dave McClain Coach of the Year.

Moore helps Purdue beat South Dakota State

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:15:00 +0000

ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands (AP)—Purdue coach Matt Painter said his seventh-ranked Boilermakers were outplayed and out-toughed by South Dakota State. However, the Boilermakers weren't outscored. E'Twaun Moore scored 22 points and beat South Dakota State 74-63 on Friday night in the first round of the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. ""The key was the flow of the game, and I thought they were tougher than us and quicker than us,"" Painter said. ""We talked at halftime about staying tight with them and carrying out our assignments."" Robbie Hummel added 14 points despite missing much of the action because of foul trouble, and JaJuan Johnson had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Boilermakers (2-0). Purdue will play St. Joseph's on Sunday night in second round. Clint Sargent led the Jackrabbits (2-1) with 16 points, and Garrett Callahan scored all 13 of his points in the first half. ""We were where we wanted to be,"" Sargent said. ""We knew if we could tighten it up on offense we had a shot at this. We just stubbed our toes too many times, and in the end it cost us."" The Jackrabbits committed 18 turnovers, 12 in the second half. ""Defensively, we played good enough to win the game,"" South Dakota State coach Scott Nagy said. ""I was displeased with the number of turnovers in the second half, but some of that was Purdue turned it up. You don't see a lot of teams that defend like they do with their physicality."" The Jackrabbits took advantage of Purdue's overaggressive defense early, making 13 of 15 free throw attempts in the first half. Purdue led 39-37 at the half, and South Dakota State was still hanging close at the 16:08 mark on Kai Williams' basket that cut it to 41-39. But the Boilermakers heated up. Ryne Smith's jumper ignited a 9-0 run that he capped with a 3-pointer that gave Purdue a 50-39 lead with 13:12 remaining. ""Any time you have close games, and any time somebody can outplay you and out-tough you, and you still win, those are good games,"" Painter said. ""We have to be patient and play a lot smarter.""

Harris, Sims help Michigan beat Houston Baptist

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:28:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP)—Manny Harris scored 25 points, and DeShawn Sims added 22 to help No. 15 Michigan beat Houston Baptist 77-55 on Friday night. Harris and Sims each had 12 points during a decisive 29-13 run at the end of the first half that put Michigan (2-0) in front for good. Mario Flaherty scored 17 points, and Andrew Gonzalez had 14 for the Huskies (0-4), playing their third season in NCAA Division I. Michigan struggled at the start, hitting only four of its first 21 shots. The Huskies were unable to take advantage because of their own poor shooting and could build a lead no larger than five points. Harris who had a triple-double in the opener against Northern Michigan with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, was Michigan's primary offense at the start until Sims connected on four straight 3-pointers. Sims added another triple midway through the second half to tie his career high. The Huskies continued to struggle from the field in the second half and were unable to get any closer than 12 points. The Wolverines largest lead was 28, following Zack Gibson's 3-pointer with 9:27 remaining. Michigan hit 36.6 percent of its shots, including 10 of 28 3-pointers. Houston Baptist was held to 34.4 percent shooting from the field, including 9 of 28 in the second half. The Huskies outrebounded the Wolverines 52-39.

No. 2 Michigan State rolls past Toledo, 75-62

TIM MARTIN — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:51:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP)—Draymond Green had 15 points to lead a balanced attack, and No. 2 Michigan State kept up its home court mastery with a 75-62 win over Toledo on Friday night. The game was a regional matchup in the Legends Classic. The Spartans (3-0) host Valparaiso on Sunday before heading to Atlantic City, N.J., for a Nov. 27 date with Florida in the semifinals. The Spartans won their 42nd straight game at home against a nonconference opponent, extending a streak that started after a loss to Duke on Dec. 3, 2003. Stephen Albrecht scored 20 points for Toledo (0-3), which trailed by as many as 20 in the second half. Tom Izzo, in his 15th season at Michigan State, moved within one of tying his mentor Jud Heathcote for the most wins in school history. Izzo has 339. Izzo's teams are 37-0 at home in November.

Turner leads No. 15 Ohio State over No. 13 Cal

JIM O'CONNELL — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:22:00 +0000

NEW YORK (AP)—Evan Turner had 26 points and 14 rebounds, his fourth double-double in as many games, and No. 15 Ohio State beat No. 13 California 76-70 on Friday night in the third-place game of the 2K Sports Classic. The Buckeyes (3-1) went through an opposite experience from their 77-73 loss to No. 6 North Carolina in the semifinals of the tournament that benefits Coaches vs. Cancer. Ohio State trailed by 19 points in the second half against the Tar Heels and was able to finally start hitting from long range and get within two in the final seconds. Against the Golden Bears (2-2), the Buckeyes used a 21-3 run spanning halftime to take a 52-28 lead with 15:40 to play. California answered right away with a 17-4 run—two of Ohio State's points came on a technical foul against Cal coach Mike Montgomery—to get within single digits with 11:28 to go. The Bears took advantage of Ohio State suddenly having trouble taking care of the ball to get within 63-57 with 5:09 left, but Turner, who had 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 turnovers against North Carolina, scored eight of the Buckeyes' next 10 points. Jon Diebler added 14 points for Ohio State and Dallas Lauderdale had eight points and seven blocked shots. Jerome Randle had 26 points for California, one more than he had in the 95-73 loss to Syracuse in the semifinals. He was 6 of 12 from 3-point range. Turner, who opened the season with a triple-double against Alcorn State, had six assists and four turnovers. The Buckeyes led 38-25 at halftime behind a long-range shooting performance that was a world away from the first half against North Carolina. Against the Tar Heels the Buckeyes missed their first nine 3-point attempts and North Carolina took advantage to build a 14-point halftime lead. Ohio State finally started hitting from the outside late before running out of time. Against the Golden Bears, Ohio State made five of 11 3-point attempts and was able to close the half with a 7-0 run—started with a 3 by William Buford— for the 13-point lead. Randle hit a 3 to open the second half but the Buckeyes went on a 14-0 run as the Bears missed eight straight shots.

Tulane edges Nittany Lions, 63-60

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:40:00 +0000

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP)—Tulane's Kevin Sims made a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 19 seconds to play and the Green Wave held on to beat Penn State 63-60 Friday in the second round of the Charleston Classic at Carolina First Arena. Aaron Holmes led Tulane (1-2) with 17 points and Kris Richard added 11. Talor Battle scored 17 points for Penn State (2-2). Tulane led by 10 with 7:57 to play, but Penn State battled back, despite shooting 27.6 percent from the field. The Green Wave shot 36 percent from the field. Penn State led 25-24 after a closely contested first half in which neither team led by more than five points. Tulane will play at 12:30 p.m. Sunday against the winner of Friday's game between Davidson and La Salle. Penn State will play at 10 a.m. Sunday against the loser.

No. 6 N. Carolina beats No. 15 Ohio St 77-73

JIM O'CONNELL — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:32:00 +0000

NEW YORK (AP)—Deon Thompson had 15 points and 12 rebounds and No. 6 North Carolina managed to hold on for a 77-73 victory over No. 15 Ohio State in the 2K Sports Classic semifinals on Thursday night. The Tar Heels (4-0), who led by 19 points with 10:23 to play, will face Syracuse, which beat No. 13 California 95-73, in Friday night's championship game of the tournament that benefits Coaches vs. Cancer. North Carolina coach Roy Williams hadn't been overly pleased with the Tar Heels' play in their three double-digit victories, including ones over Florida International and North Carolina Central, to advance to New York. He couldn't find much to be upset with early against Ohio State (2-1) as the defending national champions—only one starter returned from the team that beat Michigan State in April—were in charge for most of the game. The Buckeyes finally started hitting from the outside at the same time the Tar Heels starting missing free throws, and Ohio State was within 75-73 on a 3 by Jon Diebler with 11 seconds left. Larry Drew II, who missed four of his previous six free throws in the final minute, then made two from the line with 11 seconds left for the final margin. Evan Turner, who had a triple-double in Ohio State's opening win over Alcorn State with 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, matched that feat against the Tar Heels but it was a lot different as he finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 turnovers. The 6-foot-7 junior swingman, who had 17 rebounds in each of the first two games, couldn't go anywhere on the court without Marcus Ginyard, North Carolina's defensive specialist who missed most of last season with a stress fracture in his left foot. Turner's time was limited as well by foul trouble, and his second personal was an offensive drawn by Ginyard. Ohio State chipped away at the lead and were finally within single digits when David Lighty scored on a drive that made it 68-60 with 2:09 to go. Ginyard hit a 3 with the shot clock winding down to make it 71-60 with 1:36 to go, but the Buckeyes finally hit from the outside as William Buford and Lighty hit 3s as Drew struggled at the line. Will Graves had 14 points for North Carolina, and Drew finished with 11 points and eight assists and was 6 of 10 from the line. Diebler had 17 points for Ohio State, which finished 6 of 21 from 3-point range after going 1 of 10 in the first half. The Tar Heels had the lead to 10 points within the first 6 minutes, and it reached 16 points three times, the first at 29-13 on a 3-pointer by Ginyard with 5:40 left in the half. Ohio State missed its first nine 3-point attempts, and the Buckeyes finished 1 of 10 from beyond the arc and shot just 29 percent (9 for 31) overall in falling behind 38-24 at the half.

Williams, No. 24 Minnesota top Utah Valley 76-51

DAVE CAMPBELL — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:20:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS(AP) Freshman Rodney Williams had 17 points, six rebounds and four steals in his first career start, helping 24th-ranked Minnesota pull away from Utah Valley in the second half of a 76-51 victory on Thursday. Missing senior leader and top scorer Lawrence Westbrook to a stomach virus, the Gophers (3-0) finished 5 for 19 from 3-point range and were outrebounded 34-29 by a team in its first year as a full-fledged Division I program. Damian Johnson had 15 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals, though, to lead another strong defensive effort. Minnesota had 30 points off 26 Utah Valley turnovers, and five Gophers turnovers only gave the Wolverines (1-2) two points. Jordan Swarbrick led Utah Valley with 11 points and Tyray Petty had eight points and nine rebounds, giving Minnesota plenty to work on before playing 11th-ranked Butler next week. The Wolverines, who followed a win over North Dakota State in their opener with a loss to Cal State Bakersfield on Tuesday, fell behind 41-26 early in the second half when the Gophers appeared poised to run away with the game. Utah Valley didn't wilt, though, with peppy point guard Eric Dearden rushing to the rim for layups and Petty and Swarbrick muscling for position underneath. Al Nolen's steal and wraparound pass to Williams for a fast-break dunk over the pursuing defender got the crowd going a little. Five minutes later, Williams was fouled trying use the baseline for a slam and fell hard on his side, taking a few seconds to get up. He made both free throws, though, and on his next two drives he chose layups instead as the Gophers began to exert themselves. Williams had one more dunk in him, of course, at the end of another fastbreak fueled by this active defense coach Tubby Smith pushes his teams to play. That pushed Minnesota's lead to 73-51 with 2 1/2 minutes left. Utah Valley's bold jump from junior college to Division I was finalized this summer after six years playing under the NCAA's provisional status, which made the Wolverines ineligible for postseason play. After previous iterations as a technical and a community college, the school officially gained university status last year. The Wolverines had an enthusiastic row of fans wearing their green colors sitting behind the bench, and they didn't lack energy on the court, either. Though an unfriendly rim on Minnesota's end of the court in the first half spit several on-target shots out of the cylinder, Utah Valley stayed close with hustling defense and a willingness to make quick drives to the basket against the block-hungry Gophers, who swatted 23 shots in their first two games. Jourdain Scoubes swished 3-pointers on consecutive possessions for the Wolverines, keeping them within two points with 7 minutes to go before the break, but Johnson sandwiched a spinning layup and another shortie around a Utah Valley turnover to stretch Minnesota's lead later in the half.

Prahalis leads No. 3 Ohio State past West Virginia

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:17:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)—Samantha Prahalis had 14 points and 12 assists, and No. 3 Ohio State scored the first 17 points to roll past West Virginia 92-69 Thursday night in the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT. The Buckeyes (3-0) will host Oklahoma State on Sunday in the championship game. Jantel Lavender led Ohio State with 19 points, and freshman Tayler Hill added 14. Brittany Johnson had 13, Shavelle Little 11 and Maria Moeller 10 for the balanced Buckeyes, who shot 60 percent from the field. Johnson hit two 3-pointers, Hill had five points and Prahalis four in the 17-0 burst during the first 4 minutes. The Mountaineers (2-1), who got 23 points from Liz Repella, pulled to 27-19 before the Buckeyes went on an 11-0 run.

Barlow leads No. 5 Notre Dame past MSU, 68-67

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:56:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP)—Ashley Barlow scored 18 points and hit a tiebreaking free throw with 10 seconds left, lifting No. 5 Notre Dame to a 68-67 victory over No. 21 Michigan State on Thursday night. The Spartans had a chance to win after Barlow's late foul shot for the Fighting Irish (2-0), but Aisha Jefferson missed a jumper with 4 seconds to go. Allyssa DeHaan led Michigan State (1-2) with 20 points. MSU trailed 45-35 when DeHaan limped off the court with an apparent ankle injury early in the second half. The Spartans, sparked by their defense and forcing turnovers, went on a 15-2 tear immediately afterward to grab a 50-47 lead with 11:52 remaining. DeHaan returned and increased Michigan State's lead to 56-51 with a basket with about 10 minutes to go. But the Irish regained the lead with an 8-0 run capped by Erica Williamson's layup with 8:41 left.

Dislike predates football in Ohio-Michigan rivalry

Rusty Miller — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:23:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio(AP) The deep and abiding enmity between Ohio and Michigan is certainly nothing new. When teams from No. 10 Ohio State and Michigan meet on Saturday to play football for the 106th time, it'll just be the latest skirmish between two states and their residents who have despised each other for almost two centuries. "We understand how important it is, not only here as a football squad, but the state as a whole, to get that victory against Michigan for the bragging rights for the year,'' Ohio State linebacker Austin Spitler said. The first offsides call took place early in the 19th century. A disagreement over widely divergent surveys called into question the location of their border. Was Toledo in the new state of Ohio? Or in the territory of Michigan? Ohio Gov. Robert Lucas, sounding a bit like a certain grumpy football coach, refused to even negotiate the line of scrimmage. In defiance, Lucas named the county in which Toledo was located after himself and appointed a sheriff and a judge. Michigan's territorial governor, 22-year-old Stevens T. Mason, was outraged. He assembled a 250-member posse and marched south, initiating what was called the Toledo War. It really wasn't much of a war. There was only one casualty, when an Ohioan named Two Stickney stabbed a Michigan sheriff in a tavern brawl. Eventually, Michigan was forced to concede Toledo was in Ohio, but was pacified by a gift of 9,000 square miles of rich mining and timber land in the Upper Peninsula. A Michigan government Web site sniffs, "In retrospect, it's obvious who won the War.'' The two universities first met in football in 1897. They started playing annually in 1918, and since 1935 have renewed acquaintances in the final game of the season. The vitriol between the two states and their two universities was magnified from 1969-78 when curmudgeonly Woody Hayes prowled and growled on the sidelines for the Buckeyes and Michigan was coached by the similarly stubborn and hardheaded Bo Schembechler - an Ohio native and former Hayes acolyte. Hayes refused to even utter the name of ``the state up north.'' Legend has it - although no one doubts it - that the petulant, at times childish Hayes once ran out of gas in Michigan but pushed his car over the state line rather than spend his money there. Something akin to that passion is handed down from generation to generation even today. "I went to St. Mary's down in Lancaster, a little Catholic school. We had to wear our (school) uniforms, but for the Ohio State-Michigan game we got to dress up in either Ohio State or Michigan clothes,'' said Buckeyes offensive lineman Jim Cordle. ``That was fun. We got to cheer into the PA system and then they'd measure (which team's fans) had the loudest cheer. And then every year we went to an Ohio State-Michigan party to watch the game.'' The two states are so similar yet remain committed in their distaste for each other. Columbus drivers scowl at those behind the wheel of cars with Michigan plates. Graduates of the University of Michigan consider their rivals to be the Ivy League, Stanford, Cal - certainly not the agricultural school down in Columbus. Over the years, the rivalry has found been manifested in sports. -In the 1940s, the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers were two of the best teams in the American League. Fans debated who was better, Bob Feller or Hal Newhouser? Lou Boudreau or Hank Greenberg? -From 1950 to 1957, the Cleveland Browns of Otto Graham and the Detroit Lions led by Bobby Layne each won three NFL championships. (These days they are competing for the title of the league's worst team. That title will be decided on Sunday.) -The Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons have met in three physical, chippy playoff series this decade, the Pistons persevering in seven games in a second-round series in 2006, with the Cavs and LeBron James winning eight of 10 meetings in series wins in 2007 and last year. -Last spring the Columbus Blue Jackets made the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time, but the upstarts were no match for the 11-time champion Detroit Red Wings. The Winged Wheels won in a sweep. There are plenty of other ties between the states. Mark Dantonio, a former assistant coach at Ohio State, is now coach at Michigan State. Brian Kelly, a former head coach at Central Michigan, is now coach at fifth-ranked Cincinnati. Just last week, Bruce Springsteen performed in Cleveland on Wednesday night and in Auburn Hills, Mich., two nights later. "The Boss'' forgot where he was for the second gig and several times said, "Thank you, Ohio!'' to silent Michiganders. John Kerry made a similar gaffe during the 2004 presidential campaign, praising Ohio State's football team after he had crossed into Michigan. Yet he still won the state in the general election - and lost Ohio. The rivalry is clear to see when it comes to sports. And there's nothing quite like the jealousy, dislike and mistrust that seems to accompany ``The Game,'' as the annual showdown has become known. Ohio State wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher will be playing in only his third showdown with the Wolverines. But as a native of Toledo, he has a particularly vivid view of the heated rivalry on both sides. "There's always a little something extra when it comes to the Michigan game,'' he said. "It has a lot to do with the history. It goes back a long time.'' All the way back to the days of posses and Two Stickney.

No. 11 Butler leads throughout, drops NU

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:09:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- On a good night, it's going to be tough to beat No. 11 Butler. When a team is as short-handed as Northwestern is, it's almost not a fair fight. Shelvin Mack's 15 points led four Bulldogs in double figures, Gordon Hayward had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Butler overpowered Northwestern 67-54 on Wednesday night. It was the Wildcats' first game since announcing Monday that Kevin Coble, the team's leading scorer and rebounder the last three years, and Jeff Ryan will miss the rest of the season with injuries. "I feel for their situation," Butler coach Brad Stevens said. "They're going to get it figured out. They're going to be a really good team. But three days after, it's tough. It's going to take a little time." Michael Thompson led the Wildcats (1-1) with 16, but after making three 3-pointers in the first 8 1/2 minutes he was held scoreless until only 3 1/2 minutes remained. John Shurna added 14 for the Wildcats. It was the second victory over Northwestern in two years for the Bulldogs (2-0), but their first in Evanston since 1947-48. Butler has won six of its last seven games against Big Ten teams. "Butler's been good since I was in high school," Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said. "They've traditionally been a very good team, and they're probably just getting their due in the last six, eight years." Butler had to rally from double figures last year to beat Northwestern at Hinkle Fieldhouse, but there was no such scare this time around. The Bulldogs never trailed, and led by as many as 21 points in the second half. Five players scored nine points or better, and the Bulldogs had 17 assists to 10 turnovers. Anytime Northwestern threatened to make a run, Butler came up with a big bucket -- usually from outside. The Bulldogs made four straight 3s -- one each by Mack and Hayward, two by Avery Jukes -- for a 50-30 lead with 11:42 to play. "We've been playing together since the end of last season. We know how good we are, but we also know what each other is going to do," said Jukes, who finished with 10 points. "We have so many options." And Northwestern doesn't have many. The Wildcats had high hopes for this season, returning most of the team that went to the NIT last year. But Coble broke a bone in his foot at practice Nov. 10. Three days later, Ryan, a senior and valuable sub, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Northwestern's season opener. "It's kind of a heartbreaker for them," Hayward said. "But I'm sure they'd tell you they've got to move on without them." Despite returning everyone from the team that made a third straight trip to the NCAA tournament last season, Butler had to overcome some uncharacteristic jitters in its season opener against Davidson. The Bulldogs were far more composed against Northwestern, though it took them a bit to get into a rhythm. Hayward's layup to break a 15-all tie midway through the first half sparked a 12-4 run, and the Wildcats never really threatened again. The Bulldogs put the game away with a flurry of 3-pointers in the second half, getting a surprising spark from Willie Veasley. With 16:51 left, Shawn Vanzant got poked in the eye by Jeremy Nash. Vanzant backed away from the foul line several times, blinking, and had the eye looked at by Butler's trainer, but couldn't see clearly enough to take the shots. Veasley replaced him and, after making one of two, stole the ball at the other end to set up Matt Howard's tip-in. Just like that, Butler was up 36-26. Mack made a fallaway jumper and then came back with a 3, the first of four straight that all but sealed yet another win over yet another big-conference team. "I don't know that it's against the Big Ten or anyone else. Our guys like to play, they like to play together," Stevens said. "Whoever they're playing against, they're not worried about their conference affiliation."

Defense leads Wisconsin in win over Oakland

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:25:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin (2-0) put the clamps on Summit League preseason favorite Oakland on Wednesday night, leaning on its defense to notch a 58-42 win at the Kohl Center. The Badgers watched Oakland (0-2) get out to an 8-5 lead, but capitalized on the Grizzlies' early foul trouble to regain the momentum. Oakland's 6-foot-11 center, Keith Benson, and 6-foot-9 forward, Will Hudson, each picked up their second foul just eight minutes into the game. Wisconsin was clinging to a mere 9-8 lead at that stage, but quickly found its rhythm, scoring its next 19 points in the paint or at the free- throw line. The Badgers' widened a 14-12 lead to 30-14 with a 16-2 run over a 10-minute span in the first half, creating a comfortable cushion that would only increase throughout the remainder of the game. Benson picked up his third personal foul late in the first half and the Badgers would outscore the Grizzlies, 22-9, with him on the bench that half. Jon Leuer (12 points) and Trevon Hughes were the main beneficiaries of Oakland's absences inside as Leuer posted eight points and Hughes notched 13 before intermission. UW would stretch its 34-23 halftime lead to 53-29 with 8:38 left to play and coast to victory from there. Oakland had no answer for Hughes' penetration as the senior guard matched the game-high of 15 points and recorded a career-high seven rebounds in 35 minutes of action. Ryan Evans also notched seven rebounds, blowing his former career-high of three out of the water. UWBadgers.com Complete Post-Game Coverage Small Page Graphic Beyond the Box | Small Page Graphic In-Game Blog | Small Page Graphic Nankivil Feature | Small Video Graphic Highlights | Small Video Graphic Coach and Players Postgame UW's defense held Oakland in check all night, forcing the Grizzlies to shoot a mere 27.3 percent from the field and 15.8 percent from three-point range. The Badgers registered eight blocks and nine steals to force 16 Oakland turnovers. Keaton Nankivil recorded a career-high four blocks and tied for the game-high with nine rebounds to the lead the Wisconsin defense. Nankivil also registered two highlight reel dunks—one midway through the first half on a drop from Jason Bohannon and another with eight minutes remaining on the put-back of a missed layup. The Badgers will jet off to beautiful Hawaii for the EA Sports Maui Invitational and their road debut on Nov. 23. Wisconsin will face Arizona in the first game of the tournament at 11 p.m. CT. Check back to UWBadgers.com for results and updated information on the Badgers in Hawaii.

Michigan outlasts rival Michigan State in 5

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:30:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The No. 14-ranked University of Michigan volleyball kept the State Pride flag in Ann Arbor, earning a five-set (25-20, 18-25, 25-21, 17-25, 15-8) victory Wednesday night at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines' balanced attack saw four players record double-digit kills, led by senior Juliana Paz (Porto Allegre, Brazil/Iowa Western CC) with 18. Senior Megan Bower (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) recorded her first double-double of the season with 11 kills and 10 digs. Sophomore Alex Hunt (Granger, Ind./Granger) went for 14 kills while senior Veronica Rood (Temperance, Mich./Temperance) chipped in 10. Junior setter Lexi Zimmerman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) dished out 56 assists on the evening. The Wolverines never trailed in the fifth and deciding set, outhitting the Spartans, .375 to .118. U-M also used a 75-percent side-out ratio in the frame as Bower and Hunt each posted two kills to pace the Wolverine offense. Leading 10-7, Michigan used the second service ace of the night from junior Maggie Busch (Toledo, Ohio/Toledo Christian) along with back-to-back blocks by Rood - the second one was assisted by Paz - to cap the set and the match, 15-8. In the opening set, Michigan controlled much of the frame until the midway point when MSU crept back within one, 18-17. Down the stretch, Hunt contributed a service ace and Rood contributed three of the final five points as Michigan hit .370 in a 25-20 win. Michigan State jumped on top in set two and expanded its lead to 20-15 en route to a 25-18 victory. The Wolverines offense was good - hitting .429 - but the Spartans were even better hitting at a .609 clip and committing only one attack error. Paz had the hot hand in defeat, contributing seven kills for Michigan. While the opening two sets were very much one-sided affairs, the third was very close. Locked at 21, a string of four straight U-M points, including two kills by Hunt, capped a 25-21 Michigan win. Paz led the Maize and Blue again with seven kills while Zimmerman dished out 15 assists. Tied at 13 in set four, the Spartans used a 4-0 run to gain momentum as they cruised to a 25-17 win, evening the match at two sets apiece. U-M hit at its lowest clip of the match, .231, with five attack errors in the set. The Wolverines return to Cliff Keen Arena on Friday night (Nov. 20) for the regular season home finale and senior night when they face No. 12 Minnesota at 7 p.m. MGoBlue.com will provide live game audio and live stats. NOTES • U-M won the "State Pride" series with Michigan State for the third consecutive season with the series sweep of the Spartans Wednesday night. Michigan now owns 12 of the 20 all-time "State Pride" series wins. • Megan Bower recorded her first double-double of the season (11 kills, 10 digs) and the 10th of her career. • Bower also recorded her second highest attack-percentage of the season, hitting at a .625 clip (11-1-16). • Bower's 11 kills mark a season high, eclipsing her previous best of 10 versus Ohio State (Oct. 17). • Sloane Donhoff's 11 digs mark her 26th match with double-digit digs this season and her 10th consecutive. • Lexi Zimmerman's 56 assists mark a new season high, eclipsing her previous high of 55 versus Illinois (Oct. 3). • Zimmerman recorded her 13th match of 50 or more assists.

Michigan's Rodriguez says process has been fixed

LARRY LAGE — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:52:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich.(AP) Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez says the process of filing forms that log hours players devote to football was corrected as soon as he learned it wasn't happening. Rodriguez declined further comment Wednesday because of an ongoing NCAA investigation. An internal audit released Monday discovered the football program failed to file the school's forms that track how much players workout and practice as a tool to comply with NCAA rules. The office of university audits sent Rodriguez a memo on July 24, stating that forms from the 2008 regular season had not been submitted. The Detroit Free Press, citing anonymous players, reported a month later that Michigan exceeded NCAA limits regarding practices and workouts.

Indiana, Purdue try to salvage seasons with Bucket

MICHAEL MAROT — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:13:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.(AP) Indiana's goal was to finish this season in a bowl game. In the Hoosiers' minds, they still can. On Saturday, Indiana and Purdue will square off for the 85th Old Oaken Bucket - or in this ever-changing world, what some would dub the first Old Oaken Bucket Bowl. "This is our bowl game, right here,'' senior defensive end Jammie Kirlew said Tuesday. "This is our last game, the last time the senior class will play together.'' The Hoosiers and Boilermakers have no choice but to accept the fact that they will not be making the postseason. Indiana (4-7, 1-6 Big Ten) watched those hopes vanish with Saturday's loss at Penn State. The Hoosiers have lost four straight and seven of eight since starting 3-0, leaving them two wins short of becoming bowl-eligible with only one game left. Purdue (4-7, 3-4) also came up short, despite improving in the second half of the season. The Boilermakers rallied from a 1-5 start to win three of four, including a rare sweep of Ohio State and Michigan, before Saturday's home loss to Michigan State ended their bowl hopes. Though Purdue's players want to keep the Bucket every bit as much as the Hoosiers want it back in Bloomington, they see this game a little different. "It's been a great season. A lot of good memories, a lot of ups and downs. I think our football team has made a lot of strides in a good way,'' Purdue quarterback Joey Elliott said. "The Indiana game is always a big one on our schedule.'' The disparity in emotions may have more to do with how this series has gone over the past 12 years. Purdue holds a 10-2 advantage since 1997. Indiana's only wins during the stretch came in Antwaan Randle El's next-to-last college game in 2001 and in 2007 when Austin Starr made a 49-yard field goal with 30 seconds left to end the Hoosiers' 13-year bowl drought. The Boilermakers, meanwhile, have scored at least two dozen points in each of the series' past seven games, topping 60 twice since 2004. But this season's matchup won't come close to matching the emotions of the last two years. Starr's long kick in 2007 set off a jubilant celebration at midfield, fulfilling Terry Hoeppner's promise to play in a bowl game five months after the Hoosiers coach died of complications from a brain tumor. Last year, the Boilermakers said farewell to coach Joe Tiller with a 62-10 win, the largest victory margin in the series since 1892. Tiller celebrated by leading the band. Indiana wants to make amends after that bleak day in West Lafayette. "Yesterday, I heard it (the 62-10 score) maybe seven times,'' senior running back Bryan Payton said. "I know some of the guys have it on their lockers or pasted in their apartment rooms, so, yes, I know what those numbers mean.'' With the game moving back to Bloomington, the Hoosiers want to turn this one into a bowl-like environment. Fans will likely be clad in crimson-and-cream or old gold-and-black, much like the split seen throughout the bowl season. "The IU game this year is like a bowl game in a lot of ways,'' Boilermakers coach Danny Hope said. `"It is our last game of the season, and both teams want to finish the season strong with a win over their archrival and feel good about themselves and the bragging rights and all that stuff is a part of it.'' IU athletic director Fred Glass said more than 40,000 tickets have already been sold for Saturday's game and he is expanding the Hoosiers student section from 8,100 to 12,500. Glass said more than 10,000 student tickets have been purchased and he expects the remainder to be sold. If the crowd tops 49,000, it would be larger than the one Indiana played in front of in the 2007 Insight Bowl. At Indiana, that will have to suffice for now. "I don't want to call it the biggest game of my life, but it is our bowl game, it is my bowl game,'' Payton said. "We want to go out on a good note and regardless of how it turns out, I'm going to play my heart out and we want to win this one.''